Emphasizing the right things

A few weeks ago, a friend e-mailed me and we got into a discussion about Google AdSense. As we talked about how our various sites are performing with AdSense, I realized that many of my sites were really lagging when it comes to AdSense performance. As I have written on this site a number of times, on many of my sites, I have been focusing more on selling my own products and services, instead of trying to make money from AdSense. Because my focus has shifted, AdSense has taken a secondary role, and I have treated it like a secondary money earner.

However, I still had AdSense on my sites. When I looked at the Click Through Rates for my various sites, I was, to be honest, a bit shocked at how poorly the CTRs had become. I knew that I could do better. So, I started working on improving my AdSense statistics. While my emphasis would still be on selling my own products and services, if I was going to have AdSense on the sites, I needed to emphasize it a little more so that it would be a better earner for me. Alternatively, if I didn’t want to do what it takes to improve AdSense, I should just take it off my sites and keep my focus on other means of earning from the sites.

As I thought about this more and more, I started doing some things to improve my AdSense performance. Whenever I was going to work on this, I would invariably need to go to the AdSense site for one thing or another. Suddenly, something hit me. When I went to my bookmarks, I noticed that the bookmark for the AdSense had moved lower and lower on my list of bookmarks! So, as I mentally de-emphasized AdSense, the bookmark moved lower and lower on the list. It makes sense that it would do that, but it also shows something that is very important. I went and looked over my earning history with AdSense, and realized that my earnings had followed my interest in the program. At one point, I was earning 4 figures on AdSense every month. I am now in the lower 3 figures per month on AdSense earnings. What a drastic fall! But, it follows with how much work I have done on AdSense, and how much interest I have shown in it.

As you can see, AdSense was well down on my bookmarks list

So, I decided that I should either eliminate AdSense, or I should spend some time on it every week to bring it up where it should be. By doing so, even with just a few days work, I doubled the performance of AdSense. So, just a few hours of work paid off handsomly. If I continue to put in a couple of hours per week on optimizing AdSense on my sites, I am very confident that my earnings and statistics will continue to increase.

I will still be emphasizing my own products on my sites, but I will also be doing more than just ignoring AdSense. I mean, if it is going to be on the site, I might as well do my best with it, right?

Now, some of you are probably wondering – why is Bob focusing on his own products and services instead of AdSense? Many people think that AdSense is really the place for a blogger to make money. In my experience, though, there are better ways. For example, I have written a number of eBooks. One of my eBooks sells for $49. Everytime that somebody buys on of those eBooks, I earn $49 instantly, and I have the money immediately. It takes a lot of AdSense clicks to earn $49, and you have to wait for 30 to 60 days before you get the money. So, which of those two would you prefer to get? It’s not a question for me, but at the same time, I might as well get both.

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About Bob Martin

Bob Martin, AKA "MindanaoBob" is an Internet Entrepreneur. Bob is an American, but has been living in the Philippines since May of 2000. Bob is the owner of many popular websites, mostly related in some way to the Philippines. Bob is a regular Jeepney rider, and enjoys the experience!

Chas

Hi Bob,I feel you made the right decision by diversifying your earnings,regards Chas.

Hi Chas – I think you are right. I make more money now than I did before, so that is the true indication that the proper choice was made. My lesson, though, was that even if I de-emphasized AdSense, I can still maximize my earnings by paying enough attention to it.

Thanks for stopping by, Chas!

Justin

Bob,

I am now convinced you have more websites than jollibee has served hamburgers.

Great article, Actually is something I had been studying recently as I have long used the Internet to earn money by selling on ebay and buying and selling cars and such on craigslist but only recently has this blogging stuff gotten me interested.

I have never designed a website and do not know how but I shall figure it out.

Regarding this adsense, Its amazing to me, so far the only experience I have with it is only since last month as I joined this site that lets people write articles and pays them based on adsense, I haven’t done so great but am satisfied because in 1 month I have generated over 23,000 hits on my articles and earned 38dollars last month and so far am at 43dollars this month. Not great but my thing is its ok as its money that otherwise didn’t exist.

My next plan is to figure out how to start a blog and just tell stories on it. Also, Plan to start another blog with intentions of documenting the depression though photos and possible another as well.

In your opinion is it best to use a site like blogger or to start a website?

Justin

Justin

Bob,

Thanks for that advise regarding the private site rather than blogger or etc. Actually, I’m now thinking to take me articles off of EHow also and put them on a private site as well or possibly cross post them on a private site so I can draw the readers to a site where I will not split the adsense money with the Ehow people. So far though I’m satisfied with the results of 38 last month and 43 for the first half of Febuary. But I wonder if it not better to put the same articles on a site I would keep all the adsense revenue. Is it logical or does the other site help draw more traffic.

Amazingly a few of the articles are already hitting number one on google search which Im told is uncommon, I do not know how they got there either as do not understand key wording and such but rather just type as I would normally talk.

Regarding the site I’m thinking about documenting the depression, It would just be photos of sites such as foreclosed homes, lines at places dealing in government social service programs, ghost neighborhoods and etc. I started photographing the stuff last year actually as I found it interesting and wanted to try out the camera. Anyway my idea was just to add a photo each week with a small bit of writing along with it.

Other I idea Ive thought of is calling cards because found where callingcards.com offers a affiliate program that pays out at 10% of the amount of money your people bring them. Sounds like a agent of sorts. Anyway, At only 8.3 cents a minute it seems people may buy them to call Philippines.

Out of curiosity, Can a person just put a banner and a add about calling cards in a email and use some kind of program to send it through mass email to strangers? I had thought about that but just unsure if its possible or ethical even because while it seems like a good way to reach many people it also seems kinda wrong to email strangers and solicit them to buy callingcards.

Thanks once again for your words as they seem encouraging.

Justin

Justin

Bob,

Now it makes sense and it probably because those topic where about unusual topics. I think one is about filing a claim with PDIC to recoup your legacy investment.

Regarding that callingcards , I think email stuff to strangers is just sounds like spam, not nice. Have you seen a site called callabroad ? That’s neat site because no matter what country you put in search you pull up that site. I like the way its arranged as really multi purpose and neat. Its full of google ads though for calling cards, I think if I was to create such a site Id rather just have one big banner than many ads because it just looks so much cleaner and uncluttered that way.

So basically you just buy a web site address from a place, download word press and start typing? Where do you buy web address from? Is go daddy a good place? I tried to open a blogger account and a adsense account but was rejected even. They say because no content. I guess, possibly wrongly, that you must have first a content before getting a adsense account. The adsense ads I have now just belong to ehow people, I just type and the ads just appear in the articles.

Hi Justin – That is a topic that is not only timely, but a lot of people will have an interest. Congratulations on finding the topic, and keep writing!

Regarding the call card site and how they place their adsense – well, it is a combination of an art and a science in determining how to place the ads. You have to work hard to find what ad placement works best. Perhaps they have found what works.

I buy all my domains from godaddy. I do not host at godaddy though. For me, it is best to host your sites somewhere other than where you buy the domains. That keeps your domain registrar from being able to hold your domains hostage. You will get a domain, upload WordPress, install it on the server and start writing content. Put ads on it after you have enough content on the site.

Ray H.

Hi Bob,

Wow am I glad I found this site,I think it’s great help for those of us just starting out in the earning on the internet world. I became interested in this primarily because my fiancee are in the middle of our K-1 Visa Petition and we also have a beautiful 3 month old daughter together, so one way or another we will be together whether it is here in Michigan or there in Mindanao.
So this is how I became intrigued with the idea of earning on the internet because if I am successful at it I can do it from here or from there. But believe me I am not taking it lightly, I am going back in the archives and reading everything from the start of this site and also reading anything I come across about AdSense , KeyWords and well basically everything because I am starting from scratch.
I have a few questions I hope you can help with.

Where to start first , domain name , WordPress , I do know I need a blog or site with content before contacting Google about AdSense , but do you create a blog or site on WordPress before releasing it out into the internet , or where do you build it ?

Is it best to start a blog or site on something you are familiar with or something you see a need for?

I read an article on KeyWords and some are $0.05 and some $3.65 per click, is that the amount you receive or do you get a percentage of that ?

Well I hope I am not wasting your time or posted silly questions , and maybe all the answers are all here and I have not read them yet. But like I said I am starting from scratch and this is all new to me so any help will greatly appreciated.
I hope to one day meet you Bob, for if I can make this work for Geraldyn and I the climate is much better in Mindanao than Michigan 🙂
Thank you,
Ray

You can make money on the net, and there are tons of ways to do it. Not just from blogging, but from e-commerce, from plenty of methods. I make money from Advertising (Google, Chitika and others too), from Commissions on Land Sales, from e-commerce, and other ways too. Don’t limit yourself by thinking of only AdSense.

Yes, you need a domain, or a bunch of domains. You have to start somewhere, and you can’t do anything until you have at least one domain name! You don’t have to have a blog to make money, although that is certainly one way you can do it.

Also, don’t key your site to what keywords make money. That, in my opinion is the wrong way to do it. First, think of what you are passionate about. Do something that you have a passion for, and that is where you will make money. Most of the stuff that I make money on are not things that have high keyword values. However, when you are passionate, that shows through, and that is when you will gain followers, and you never know how that will lead to earning money, but it will. I make a lot more money from doing things like writing eBooks and selling them to my followers than I do from Google. So, don’t concentrate on Google, if you do you will sell yourself short.

Good luck with your goal of making money online! Keep following my various sites, and you will pick up a tip or two!